California updates its water landscape ordinance

California’s Dept. of Water Resources (DWR) has released an updated Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance to assist local governments in reducing water waste in landscapes. A Landscape Task Force recommended changes to the original ordinance adopted in 1992. The result is the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 1881), which requires cities and counties, including charter cities, to adopt landscape water conservation ordinances by Jan. 1, 2010. Municipalities can adopt the ordinance rules or develop their own program. The ordinance addresses water budgets for landscapes, the prevention of excessive erosion and irrigation runoff, landscape and irrigation design requirements, the use of recycled water where available, irrigation audits and the scheduling of irrigation based on the local climate. Denice Britton, Chico’s urban forest manager, told the Mercury-Register that most home subdivisions have public landscape areas that will be impacted by the rules. To assist local agencies in adopting and implementing either the Model Ordinance or as effective local programs, DWR is conducting workshops throughout the state.